Two British men have been detained in Bali on suspicion of attempting to bring 1.3 kilograms of cocaine into the Indonesian resort island, local narcotics officials and British authorities said.
Bali's Narcotics Agency has confirmed that the two men are in custody but has not released further details pending a scheduled press conference. Indonesian law allows for severe penalties, including the death sentence, for large-scale drug trafficking; foreign nationals have been executed in past cases.
Indonesian authorities identified the suspects as Kial Robinson, 29, and Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, both listed as residents of Chichester, West Sussex, according to court and corporate filings cited by media. Officials said Robinson was stopped at Bali's international airport after arriving on a Turkish Airlines flight from Barcelona on Sept. 3 with what investigators allege was a package containing cocaine in his backpack. Wilkinson was arrested in the early hours of Sept. 4 at a villa in Mengwi, Badung, near the Canggu area.
Documents filed at Companies House show Robinson as the owner of a landscape gardening business and list Wilkinson as a property manager. The Daily Mail reported that Robinson told investigators he had been offered $10,000 to transport the drugs and had been instructed to hand them to someone who would come to the villa; that allegation has not been independently verified by Indonesian authorities.
Made Dwi Saputra, a spokesperson for the Bali Narcotics Agency, told reporters the agency would hold a modest ceremony to destroy narcotics evidence and provide details of several cases at a press briefing. "On Tuesday, we will carry out a modest ceremony to destroy some narcotic evidence, as well as a press release on several cases," he said, while confirming only that two British nationals had been arrested.
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said the U.K. government had been informed of the detentions and was providing consular support. "We have been made aware of two British nationals who have been detained in Bali. We continue consular support for both and are in contact with the local authorities," the spokesperson said.
Indonesia enforces strict narcotics laws. Convicted traffickers can face lengthy prison terms, and those convicted of large-scale trafficking sometimes face capital punishment. In previous high-profile Bali cases, foreign nationals convicted of drug trafficking have been sentenced to death and executed by firing squad; in other cases courts have imposed lengthy prison sentences. In July, a panel of judges at Denpasar District Court handed 12-month prison terms to three British nationals accused of trying to smuggle nearly 1 kilogram of cocaine hidden in food-packet containers, after prosecutors had warned they could face the death penalty. The court said the defendants had admitted the offences and received reduced sentences.
Bali Narcotics Agency custody and any charges against the two men are subject to formal announcement and prosecution under Indonesian law. The agency's scheduled press briefing is expected to provide further details and outline next steps in the investigation. The U.K. consular team will continue to engage with local authorities on behalf of the detainees, the Foreign Office said.